Through The Years
by LetsCallItFate
Summary: When he was five he thought she was the biggest freak alive. In Middle School he kissed her.In High School he threw a slushy all over her. How did their relationship get to that point? The Puck/Rachel relationship through the years.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N I've always kind of wondered why Rachel was so willing to take a chance on Puck in Mashup after everything he did to her, so this is my version of how they got to that point. Review if you enjoy, or even if you just have something to say :)**

When he was five he thought she was the biggest freak alive. She came in to kindergarten with two men behind her, and no mom, and beamed around the room and then introduced herself to every single child there. He could still remember how she had asked his name, and held out her hand to him as though they were grown ups and not in kindergarten. He had snarled at her and pushed her over. Because who did she think she was?

Her Dad's had rushed right over, and pulled her to her feet and checked she was okay. They had shaken their heads at him, and the taller one had mumbled about it being the parents fault. Puck had scoffed, because seriously, what did he know? Just because he was the only kid there without his parents didn't mean he was a screwup. His Mom had to work. Thats it.

He could've apologised, made things better, but he didn't. He waited until all the parents had gone and she was sitting at the colouring table, her little tongue poked out in concentration with no one around.

"Crybaby." He had whispered in her ear, and it was possibly the nicest thing he would ever say to her.

* * *

They were in third grade now, and Rachel Berry was still considered a freak. Now it wasn't just by Puck, but by most of her peers. It was nothing major, because after all they were only eight, but Rachel still tried desperately not to cry when she would sit down at a lunch table, and all the other girls would get up. Instead she would smile, and sit there chewing every mouthful meticulously as if she didn't mind the solitude.

When it was time for projects, and their teacher asked them to get into pairs, Rachel asked if she could work alone, because she was far too smart for anyone else to keep up with. She didn't say it was because no one would want to partner her. The teacher knew what was going on, but really she didn't have the energy to deal with it. Instead she just waved her hand dismissively.

For the following few weeks, all of Rachel's spare time when she wasn't at dance, or vocal lessons, was spent on her project. Her Dad's would help her, and neatly type up anything she needed. She drew pictures and diagrams, and learnt all sorts of fancy words to impress her class mates with. She thought maybe if she did the best presentation ever they would all want to be friends with her. Or be partners with her at least.

On the day of the presentation she was cornered in the cloakroom by Puck when she was hanging up her coat. He had asked her about her project. Rachel's smile lit up the dingy room and she immediately pulled it out to show him. It was almost as big as her, and she saw him eye it slowly.

"How much?" He had asked, reaching into the back pocket of his jeans and pulling out several crinkled dollar bills.

"I'm not selling my project." She had gasped, and clutched it close to her.

He had grunted and then hit it, satisfied when the board broke right down the middle. When Rachel was called upon later that day, she shook her head and ran out the room. He went next, Finn beside him, and tried to be his usual self, but he could feel her eyes on him, lurking in the corner of the room and for the first time in his life he felt ashamed.

* * *

Its the end of sixth grade now and Quinn Fabray is hosting a pool party for all of her class. Its the first grown up party that most of them have been too, and its been all that people have talked about weeks. Except for one. Rachel has kept her head down, and tried to block out any conversations she hears about it because _shes not invited._

Its the day before the infamous party when Noah Puckerman comes up to her in the playground. She's so surprised that she almost falls of her swing. Puck is cool, he's friends with nearly everyone, and the only people that aren't his friends are people he picks up on. Sadly, she falls into the latter category.

"You want to go Quinns?" She wants to correct his language, but she fears that will lead him to come up with new meaner nicknames for her. Then she thinks about his question. She wants to answer yes, because right now its what she wants most in the world. But Noah isn't a nice boy, and if she tells him that then he will mostly just laugh at her. But theres a look in his eyes, and she finds herself nodding.

"Cool. Be there at 11." And then he gets up and saunters off just like that. She opens her book again, but can hardly concentrate, because not only was she just invited to her first ever party, but it's to go with Noah Puckerman.

She can barely sleep with excitement that night.

The next morning she is up at 7, and trying on every single swimsuit that she owns. She finally picks out a yellow one with little flowers embroidered on, and sets upon the task of choosing an outfit to wear over. She manages to find a little yellow sundress that goes with her bikini perfectly, and she's happy because its the first time in so long that she has ever really felt pretty.

Her Dad's take a picture (read: pictures – hundreds) because its her first party, and honestly they were getting a little worried about her. She excels in school, has the voice of an angel and dances beautifully, but she's never once had any friends round for dinner.

They drop her off at ten past eleven, because she demands that she wants to be fashionably late, and because she is there little princess, they oblige.

She goes to ring the bell, but notices there's a little gate to the side of the house, and decides to go through there instead. She pushes it open and is greeted by the sight of girls and boys everywhere, playing in the pool, sitting around and chasing each other. She smiles brightly and decides to make her way up to Quinn, to thank her for letting her come. She only makes it halfway to her sunlounger.

The laugh cuts through all the chatter and shrieks from everyone else, and all the kids turn to look at Quinn Fabray.

"What are you doing?" Her voice is silky smooth, but her words are grating.

"Noah invited me." Rachel smiles, and tries to fight the blush that is creeping into her cheeks.

"As a joke." Her smile falters and she looks at the ground.

"No one wants you here." This time it's Santana, Quinn's best friend.

Rachel wills herself not to cry, because she doesn't want to give them the satisfaction.

"Leave." Quinn practically snarls the world, and soon Rachel is stumbling as she tries to run away from the humiliating laughter of everyone in her year.

She can't bear the thought of going back and asking the Fabrays to use their phone, and anyway she doesn't want her Daddies to think she's a social outcast. Instead she waits on the curb until they come to pick her up several hours later.

Its the second time in his life that Puck feels genuinely ashamed. He almost goes over and sits with her, but Santana is tugging on his hand, so he sits with her instead.

* * *

Its the start of 8th grade now, and not much has changed. Quinn and Santana are cheerleaders now, though Rachel scoffs at their routines which consist of them jumping in the air and squealing, whilst waving pom poms. She has thrown herself into her extra curriculars, upping her intake of dance and vocal lessons, and become obsessed with escaping this town.

Rachel Berry had always wanted to be a star, and she'd never been ashamed of it. She had told everyone she met that she was going to be a famous singer one day and she'd always believed in that.

That all came tumbling down the first day of eighth grade. On her way to her locker she had run into Santana and Quinn, and even though she had kept her head down they had still seen her.

"Going somewhere?" Quinn had sneered, while Santana smirked behind her.

"My locker." Rachel had replied bravely, meeting Quinn's eyes.

"Whatever," Quinn and Santana had brushed past her when Quinn turned and smiled, "RuPaul."

She hadn't cried. That would have made it worse. She had stood statue still until the bell rang for lessons when she had disappeared into the toilets and cried.

Puck had watched this happen, but he hadn't said anything. Firstly because she was only Rachel Berry, and everyone knew she was a freak. And secondly because Santana had promised she'd have sex with him this weekend, and he really didn't want to piss her off.

* * *

By the time of middle school graduation, Quinn and her posse had come up with a whole host of names for Rachel, but Quinn mostly called her Manhands, while Santana's favourite was Treasure Trail. Most people referred to her as It, or freak. Rachel tried to pretend she didn't mind. She thought about calling Quinn something back, but she didn't want to make things worse. That didn't mean she didn't have a long list at home, stashed under her bed. She was a nice person but she wasn't a saint.

There was a party the day before graduation, a prom of sorts. All the popular kids were going in couples and mostly everyone else was just going with their friends. And Rachel was going alone.

She hadn't wanted to go, but her fathers had told her she should, because they were still determined that if she showed up to more school events she would fit in more. Rachel didn't want to tell them that everytime they dropped her off at a football game she ended up hiding in the toilets, so the mean girls couldn't get to her. She didn't want them to be disappointed with her.

Puck was going with Santana, who had given it up to him less than two weeks into the school year. Since then their volatile relationship had been the subject of much speculation, especially when all the other girls he'd had it on with came forward. But what could he do? He was a stud, he couldn't help it.

But he couldn't help himself but notice Rachel Berry, and he kinda admired her. For all the shit that everyone gave her, she never let it get to her, she just stood there and took it. Sometimes when people were being nasty to her, she would look over and catch his eye, almost daring him to do something. He always looked away.

Its the night of the party and everyones dancing, and stumbling a little. For most of them it was their first real experience with alcohol and none of them are handling it to well. Puck already caught Santana getting it on with a new blonde girl that just transferred it, and he saw Quinn Fabray kissing some guy under the bleachers. He's already had his fun before the dance, when Santana gave him a little something in exchange for him taking her to the dance. He's currently just scoping out the room, looking for a girl that so wasted she won't mind giving it up to him when he spots Rachel Berry running out the hall. Maybe its the alcohol, or maybe the years of repressed feelings but he follows her out.

She's crying by the dumpsters when he finds her, and her eye makeup is all smudged. She looks up when she hears him, and then looks away again.

"Go away Noah." She whispers softly, and he doesn't even mind that she isn't calling him by his nickname.

"Whats wrong?" He doesn't even know why he says it, because shit, its Berry and since when has he ever cared about her.

She shakes her head, and wipes her eyes.

"You don't care." She sniffles pathetically, and he's overcome with an urge to protect her.

"Try me." He surprises himself with his words and tone of voice, and Rachel looks up at him, as if she's seeing him for the first time.

"Everybody hates me." She states it, her eyes fixed on the ground, "They call me all sorts of horrible names, and push me and steal my things."

He looks away awkwardly because hes involved in that too sometimes.

"And I don't understand. I know I'm not normal, and I'm never going to be popular, but I try to be nice." She looks up at him, and she looks really good in that dress and in the darkness and he kind of wants to kiss her.

"I just want...one person to like me. That would be enough." And before he evens realises it, he's leant down and his lips are on hers, and she's not pulling away and he actually feels good. And suddenly her tongue is on his and it all feels so right. Their arms are around each other now, and all he can think is that she smells really good, and he kinda never wants to let go.

But then there's a slam of a door, and they jump apart, and she's looking up at him, and he wonders if she's going to cry, but she doesn't. She just smiles weakly and turns around and walks off toward the carpark.

He watches her go, and then heads back inside. Santana throws herself on him upon his return, and she's completely inebriated by now, and she's kissing him with such force that he wonders if she going to sleep with him twice in a day. But in the back of his mind he cant help but feel dejected, because the taste of Rachel on his lips is gone all too quickly.

* * *

She's been away the whole summer, travelling around Europe with her parents, and she hasn't spoken to Noah since the whole Dance thing. Graduation the next day was over as quickly as it started, and she spent most of the day celebrating with her dads. She wonders if it will have changed anything, if maybe he'll get people to lay off her, so that High School won't be a completely miserable experience for her.

Puck had spent the whole morning panicked. He'd been hanging out with some guys on the football team over summer, and they'd told him he would get a guaranteed place on the team if he passed one little test. They'd spent ages thinking of something for him to do and had eventually decided on picking on the Freshman Freak. This year that freak was Berry.

He really didn't want to do it. Not to her. But he really wanted on the team.

So when Rachel Berry stepped through the halls and saw Noah Puckerman she smiled brightly and hurried towards him. She didn't pay any attention to the drink in his hand, why would she?

So when she started talking at a hundred miles an hour, she was completely oblivious to the peculiar look on his face. She looked up after a moment and saw him swallow, she was just about to open her mouth and ask him what was the matter when it hit her. It was icy cold, and her whole face felt freezing and uncomfortable and her eyes were burning. She could feel the sticky substance seeping through her top, and into her bra.

This was far worse than any insult a cheerleader had ever hurled her way, because it was so humiliating and horrible. And it wasn't some mindless girl, it was Noah. Noah who had kissed her, and implied he had liked her. Noah, who she had spent all summer fantasising about. She rubbed the slushy out of her eyes, and looked up at him for a brief moment before turning and running to the nearest toilets.

She tried to block out the mocking laughter and the new batch of insults. She tried to ignore his face in her eyes, and the snide looks from the cheerleaders. She tried to forget every single dream she had had about Noah over the summer.

The day that Noah Puckerman threw a slushy over Rachel Berry was the first time she ever cried in front of her peers. She could handle the torment from everyone else, but not him. He had broken her.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N So this story was really meant to be a oneshot, I just forgot to press the complete button :/ But then I figured that there was more to the story, so I made it a twoshot :) Not many people reviewed but whatever, I still like the story idea :) Not to sound stuck up or anything. I'm also writing a multi chapter Puckleberry fic, so let me know if you're interested in that. Btw, all my stories are based off of where Glee is in the UK, so we just had the substitute, so if they're wrong in plot or anything like that, thats why :( So if you enjoy then review :)**

Rachel Berry had spent exactly an hour and a half in the toilets. She had phoned her Daddy and asked him to drop off some clothes for her, because she'd changed her mind about her outfit. She'd looked down at the floor when she went to get them from reception, because she didn't want the receptionists look of pity. She had brushed her hair out, changed her clothes and scrubbed her face until she couldn't smell cherry anymore. Then she had sprayed some perfume, just so no one else could smell the lingering scent of slushy and headed to 3rd period with the rest of her peers.

She kept her head high despite all the whispers and laughs that followed her through the hallway, she ignored the jeers and crappy jokes, and tried to console herself with the fact that she would be a star one day, and then all these people would be begging her to give them the time of day.

She had kept silent when she passed Quinn Fabray, dressed in – what else – a Cheerio's uniform, with Santana and Brittany – her newest minion – behind her.

"Wow RuPaul, you stink of Cherry."

"Yeah Treasure Trail, ever think of getting sanitized?"

In fact all the way to Spanish she had managed to stay silent, and not burst into tears, yes she had managed to hold everything in until she ran into Puck.

"Rach-" He had stopped and was looking down at her, his brown eyes all sorrowful. A few hours ago she may have fallen for it but not now.

"Don't." She had given him a steely gaze and continued on her way to Spanish.

If she had turned around, she would have seen him standing in the corridor, watching her tiny figure retreat.

But she was Rachel Berry, and she had far too much pride to look back.

* * *

Puck had continued on to the locker room after his brief encounter with Rachel. He felt like shit for doing it, but it had to be done. And technically she brought it upon herself, with those dumb clothes she wore, and her stupid songs. And he had total Badass status now. He was notorious. He'd only been in High School a few hours and everyone knew his name. Three girls had already asked him to come over to theirs that night, and they were all older.

He was kind of okay with it all though. I mean she was just Rachel Berry, and its not like they were friends or anything. Sure they had gotten off the night of that dance, but that was it. So he tried not to mind, when she didn't show up for her first lesson, even though he knew she was meant to be there, cause he listened for her name on the register. He felt bad when Quinn giggled with Brittany when her name was called, but so what, shit happens. Besides they'd been picking on Rachel since forever.

But shit, he felt bad. Like worse than that time everyone laughed at her at that pool party, or when his Dad left. And then the way she had looked at him when she passed him in the hall, like she hated him. He kind of hated himself too.

He hadn't told anyone about their kiss, mainly because Santana would most likely chop his balls off, but also because he was afraid. Not afraid of what people would say, well just a bit, but terrified because he had felt something. Whenever he got with Santana or another girl, it was always just because he was horny and it felt good. With Rachel it had felt different, like he actually wanted her. And he couldn't do that. She was a loser, a freak and she would drag him down into social obscurity. Also he had promised himself that he would never let himself get too attached to someone if they would up and leave, not after his Dad.

* * *

School had just finished and Rachel had just gotten home. The first thing she had done was shove her clothes in the washing machine, so that her Dads wouldn't find them and start asking questions. The slushy was too humiliating to tell them about, it was too humiliating to think about. Once the clothes were tumbling around the machine, after being soaked in stain remover, Rachel allowed herself to go upstairs. She had washed most of the slushy off herself, but there was only so much you could do in the girls bathroom.

She took her time in the shower, lathering her hair several times just in case any remmenats of the slushy remained, she scrubbed herself with vanilla shower gel and exfoliated her face until she was sure she had lost several layers of skin. When she got out the shower, she threw away all of her fruity smelling products, not wanting to ever smell like a fruit again. She couldn't fight it though, every time she looked in the mirror she just saw herself covered in the sticky substance, it seeping through her clothes.

Rachel wanted to go right over to the Puckermans house and give Noah a piece of her mind. But she didn't, because she was scared if she saw him she might cry.

After she was done in the bathroom she returned to her bedroom, and ripped every trace of Noah out of her room. Her class photo's from elementary school? Shoved in a box and placed in her daddies room. The picture that she has of them from her Bat Mitzvah (his mom made him go), torn into little pieces and flung all around her room. She rummaged through her draws until she found that tiny yellow bikini, and she hurled it into the bin with such force that it toppled over. She kind of felt like beating something up. In particular Noah Puckerman.

Satisfied with her work, she went downstairs to retrieve her wet clothes, just so that her daddies wouldn't ask questions when they got home. She was just surveying the damage - turns out that not even the stain remover can remove her humiliation – when the doorbell rang.

She really hopes that its someone who came to check on her and see if she was okay, because she could really use a friend right now. Or if not a friend a mom. Her dads were great, but they just wouldn't understand if she told them about her summer fantasies of Noah, so it had just been something that she had had to keep to herself all summer long.

Sighing she opened the door, and stood back.

"Berry?" She looked up and found Puck at her door, his hands in his pockets looking awfully sheepish. She moved to slam the door in his face, because really he was the last person she wanted to see right now.

"Wait!" He wedged his foot between the door and the frame, and pushed it back open.

"What do you want?" She glared up at him and tried her hardest to look menacing, despite the fact that she's almost a foot shorter than him and wearing a tank top and shorts.

"I'm sorry." He looked sincere, and for a moment her heart kinda slows down, and all she wants is to run into her arms. But then she blinked and rather than sweet, kind Noah all she could see was threatening, mean, slushy wielding Puck.

"Well thats great. Goodbye." She tried she slam the door, but it only moved an inch.

"No, Berry I'm serious." He ran a hand over his Mohawk, "I like didn't wanna do it or anything, Karofsky and the others, they made me."

She narrowed her eyes and tried to control an urge to scream or throw a chair at him or something.

"How did they make you? Did they take your mom hostage or something?" She pointed an accusatory finger at him, "No, they didn't. You're just scared. You want to be popular and you're scared that if anyone knows you actually like me, they'll brand you a freak as well." She lowered her finger and sniffed, "Life at the tops lonely Noah, but you wouldn't know that because you're just a scared little boy that follows the crowd. You're mean and horrible and I never want to talk to you again."

He just looked at her, in her tiny shorts, with her face all flushed from her speech and she was looking up at him like she wanted to kill him and she looked so beautiful in that moment. So he leant down and kissed her. She stayed still for a moment and then pushed him away.

"Noah! What are you doing?"

He smiled down at her softly,

"I'm sorry Berry. I missed you over the summer you know," He reached his hand out and ran it gently over her bare arm, knowing that it always drove girls crazy. He watched her inhale deeply.

"Do you...Do you want to come inside?" She whispered almost inaudibly, but he smirks and follows her in.

An hour later they've progressed to the couch, and her hairs all tangled and both their lips are swollen. This is not what she imagined her night was going to be like.

"You're fucking sexy Berry" He mutters into her neck, as his hands run up and down her tanned, smooth legs. She'd really rather he said beautiful or something less derogatory, but she'll take what she can get. And she really doesn't want him to stop what he's doing to her neck.

"Noah, we need to stop." She pulled back suddenly, her eyes catching sight of the clock, "My daddy will be home soon."

"Shit." He sat up abruptly, parents really aren't his thing.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" She asked wearily, biting her lip.

"See you tomorrow Berry." He leant forward and captured her lips in one last kiss. She smiled into the kiss, and closed her eyes, savouring it.

All too soon she found herself alone in her house, fishing her now dry clothes out of the dryer, wondering what the hell just happened.

* * *

After his encounter with Rachel, Puck had walked over to the park, where he was meeting Santana. He had never meant to get with Rachel, he had just wanted to apologize, because he honestly felt like shit about the whole thing. And also like a really bad Jew.

Santana had taken one look at his swollen lips, and rumpled clothes and asked him who'd he'd been fucking. He really didn't want to say, because while Berry was nice and all, she sure wasn't worth risking his reputation for.

He'd reeled off the name of some random girl that he'd met at school, and Santana had pursed her lips, satisfied with his answer. They weren't together, but she liked to know who else he was fucking, just so that she didn't get caught out or anything. Puck was hers, but she didn't mind sharing, as long as the girls were just brainless whores that didn't mean anything to him.

About an hour later, when she'd gotten tired of making out, they'd begun talking. They never talked about anything deep or shit, just light stuff, like about people from school.

"What you did to Manhands today was totally hot, it made me want to get my mack on with you." She laughed, sucking on his neck gently.

"It did, did it?" He had flirted back, ignoring the churning feeling in the pit of his stomach, "well that was the last time I'm ever doing that."

Santana immediately pulled away, looking like someone had slapped her.

"What? Why? Its totally badass, everyone knows who we – you – are now. If you stop everyone's gonna think you've gone soft." She crossed her arms over her chest and looked down at him.

"Nah, they know I'm a badass babe."

"Do it Puck, or this," She gestured around, "is over."

"Babe." He whined, his heart beating so quickly he wondered if she could hear it, "Dont do this."

"I mean it Puckerman, I need people to see me with a badass football player, if you don't want to be that person I can easily replace you." She stood up, "And I can make sure that no girl ever sleeps with you again." She smiled and stalked off into the semi darkness.

That night all he could think about was a documentary he'd watched on the nature channel with Finn once. It was about this pack of animals, and they all ate each other or some shit, and he realised High School was kind of like that. Eat or be eaten. Slushy or be slushied. And Noah Puckerman was not going to be eaten. Or slushied.

* * *

The next day Puck came to school, a supersize cup of bright cherry flavoured slushy in his hand. He had barely slept all night, dreading what the morning would bring, because whilst she had forgiven him once, he knew if he did it again then whatever he had going with Rachel would be over before he could blink. So he hung out by his locker, surrounded by his football cronies, waiting for Rachel to walk by.

She didn't say anything to him, because she knew the moment she saw him, holding the giant cup. She knew that she was going to be humiliated again. She had known on some level anyway, which is why safely stashed in her locker, was a change of clothes, some hand towels and toiletries.

But there was something that disturbed her deeply about him. Yesterday his eyes had been filled with remorse and emotion; today they were cold, heartless, like he didn't even care.

She closed her eyes as she saw the wave of ice coming towards her and tried very hard not to cry. Because she was Rachel Berry, future Broadway star, and she didn't need anyone , especially not Noah Puckerman.


End file.
